Fast bowler Akhtar blames Wasim Akram for career ruin

NEW DELHI: Former Fast Bowler of Pakistan Shoaib Akhtar, issuing a juggernaut of accusations, said former Pakistani cricket team captain Wasim Akram was behind ruination of his career and Bollywood actor Shahrukha Khan deceived him.
In his autobiography, he said ball tampering was nothing new in cricket world.
Accusing Wasim Akram of his career ruin, Akhtar stressed the former captain was afraid of him and unwilling to take him in the team; accordingly, he dropped him frequently from the team, dealing a blow to his confidence.
According to pacer Akhtar, it was due to encouragement by former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Tauqir Zia that he could gain success in the international cricket.
Giving his viewpoint on ball-tampering, the former cricketer said this was nothing new, as all fast bowlers had this practice.
He said Indian cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid were not match winners for their team, as they played the game for their personal record.
Commenting on his inclusion in Indian Premier League (IPL), Shoaib Akhtar said actor Shahurkh Khan, former Commissioner Lalit Modi deceived him with regard to his joining Kolkata Knight Riders.
Launching ceremony for Akhtar’s book will be held in Mumbai on Sunday.

Pakistan moves Twenty20 over dengue outbreak

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket authorities were Wednesday forced to shift the national Twenty20 tournament to Karachi after an outbreak of dengue fever in Lahore, the tournament's original venue.
President Asif Zardari, who is also the patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said the tournament should also be
used as a fund-raising event for the flood victims in the southwestern Sindh province.
"As desired by the president of Pakistan, the venue of the tournament has been shifted from Lahore to Karachi," a PCB statement said.
The dengue fever outbreak in Lahore, which has so far claimed several lives, prompted concerns among various teams, including Afghanistan, which is also competing.
And PCB director general Javed Miandad said the decision would help players take to the field without worry.
"There was a suggestion that because of the dengue virus we should transfer the event from Lahore and after president's directives we took this decision," Miandad told reporters.
He added that the tournament will help raise funds for millions of displaced flood victims in Sindh.
International cricket has been suspended in Pakistan since the March 2009 terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, after which foreign teams refused to tour the troubled country.
Deprived of international cricket, fans in Pakistan take a keen interest in domestic Twenty20 events, filling the stadiums to capacity.

Best ICC umpire Dar reaches home amid warm welcome

LAHORE: Pakistan’s national hero in cricket umpiring reached homeland after receiving International Cricket Council (ICC) trophy as the best umpire for third consecutive year, SAMAA reported Wednesday.
People in large number received the national hero at Allama Iqbal Airport amidst showers of flower petals, as he arrived here from Sri Lanka.
Talking to media, Dar said the award was a result of prayers of the nation, demanding central contract for umpires as well like players.
“Umpiring is never easy amongst technology paraphernalia,” Aleem Dar stressed vowing however, he will continue to perform well in future as well.
It is unfortunate of Pakistani that no international team is coming to Pakistan, the best ICC umpire said underscoring the need to give more heed to domestic cricket.
Earlier dedicating to Pakistan his David Shepherd Trophy after he was named as the ICC Umpire for the year 2011 for the third time, Aleem said that Pakistan has won the honor, saying, “It is a great honor for me to get the award for my country and I shall try to maintain my performance to win more awards for my country. I try to carry out my job with utmost honesty and it is the only secret behind the success.”
It should be mentioned here that he served as umpire in 67 tests, 146 one-dayers and 18 Twenty20 matches

Clarke shines as Aussies win S. Lanka Test series

COLOMBO: Australia clinched the Test series against Sri Lanka 1-0 on Tuesday after resurgent skipper Michael Clarke led from the front to snatch a draw for the tourists in the third and final game.
It was Clarke's first Test tour as captain, the series win coming after the 125-run victory in the opening encounter in Galle. The second Test in Pallekele ended in a rain-affected draw.
Clarke burst into form with a fluent century and Michael Hussey narrowly missed a third consecutive hundred as Australia piled up 488 in their second innings before they were all out shortly before close with a lead of 331 runs.
Sri Lanka were 7-0 from two overs in their second knock when the match was called off at the Sinhalese Sports Club in the capital Colombo.
Clarke hit 112 and Hussey made 93 in a remarkable batting revival after Australia had conceded a first innings lead of 157 runs in good batting conditions.
The victory saw Australia and Sri Lanka exchange positions in the official Test rankings, with Clarke's men moving to fourth place and Sri Lanka dropping to fifth.
Clarke, who went 23 innings without a Test century since making 168 against New Zealand in March last year, hammered 14 boundaries and three sixes in his robust knock.
He was dismissed after he lost concentration following a verbal on-field skirmish with Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara and holed out in the deep to become left-arm spinner Rangana Herath's fifth victim.
Herath finished with remarkable figures of 7-157 on an unhelpful pitch, his last wicket giving him 100 Test scalps in 29 matches.
Hussey continued his amazing run in the series, scoring 463 runs in five innings at an average of 92.60, but missed out on a century in each innings.
The left-hander moved to 93 with two fours off Tillakaratne Dilshan, but fell in the same over as he swept high to a diving Chanaka Welegedara at deep square-leg.
The West Australian had scored 95 and 15 in the first Test, 142 in the second and 118 in the first innings here.
Clarke and Hussey put on 176 for the fifth wicket after Sri Lanka had struck an important blow in the day's sixth over.
Australia added just 11 runs to their overnight score of 209-3 when century-maker Phil Hughes top-edged a sweep off Herath to Lahiru Thirimanne at square-leg.
The left-hander made 126, his third Test century.
Herath, who claimed the first five wickets in the innings, shared the second new ball, which was taken in the 87th over with the total 268-4.
Clarke responded to the gamble by driving the spinner through the covers and lofting the next ball for six to bring up his half-century.

And he reached his 15th Test century by pulling Herath to mid-on for his 14th boundary, soon after he had smashed the bowler for his third six.

Pakistan to take on India in U16 football tournament in Nepal

KHATMANDO: Arch-rivals Pakistan and Pakistan will clash in the final of the inaugural SAFF Under-16 Championship final later this Wednesday afternoon in Khatmandu, Nepal.
Green shirts seem resolved to rout India in the final. They will turn up the ground with psychological superiority, as Pakistan got better of strong Bangladesh in semi-final with two goals.
Meantime, India cruised into the final by defeating hosts Nepal.
Green shirts displayed excellent performance by overpowering India, Maldives and Bangladesh. It should be mentioned here that Pakistan scored nine goals in the event.
Head Coach Sajjad Mehmood is satisfied with the performance given by national players thus far, saying Pakistan and India had tough competition as ever.
He added team came up with full preparations.

Mendis records best figures in T20 internationals

KANDY: Spinner Ajantha Mendis produced the best figures in Twenty20 internationals on Monday to bowl Sri Lanka to an eight-run win over Australia at the Pallakele Stadium and a 2-0 series win.
Mendis bemused the Australian batsman to finish with six for 16 off four overs, including a maiden. He is the first bowler to take six wickets in the shortest form of the game.
Australia did well to contain Sri Lanka to a total of 157-9 but were restricted themselves to 149-9 after Shane Watson had got them off to a flying start with 57 off 24 balls including five sixes and six fours.
Watson and David Warner (16) put on 71 for the first wicket before an inspired piece of fielding by Angelo Mathews on the boundary line to dismiss Warner started a sensational Australian collapse.
Mathews took the catch and, before stepping over the boundary, threw the ball to Mahela Jayawardene 30 metres away to give Mendis the first of his six wickets.
Australia slid to 113-6 but skipper Cameron White kept their hopes alive with 39 off 33 balls before he fell in the final over with Australia needing 14 for victory.
Sri Lanka's innings was held together by a superb knock of 86 off 64 balls with one six and 12 fours by Mahela Jayawardene.
John Hastings put a brake on the Sri Lankan run rate by grabbing three wickets for 14 runs as Sri Lanka lost six wickets for 36 runs in the last six overs.
Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said Mathews' moment of brilliance had turned the match.
"We knew one or two wickets and we could put pressure on them. We were hanging in, and waiting for a breakthrough," he said.
Mathews said his reaction had been "pure instinct".
"I just saw Mahela and went for it. I wasn't looking at the boundary, I just wanted to take the catch and relay it to Mahela after I saw it," he said.

Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh on Test return

HARARE: Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 130 runs in a one-off Test at Harare Sports club on Monday to claim their first victory since making their return to cricket after a six-year absence.
Zimbabwe had set Bangladesh a victory target of 375 runs in their second innings having declared at 291-5 at tea on Sunday.However, the tourists were bowled out for 244.Despite a steady start to their second innings the tourists were restricted to 228 at lunch, 147 runs short of their target with only two wickets remaining.
Robiul Islam and Rubel Hossain were left to continue Bangladesh's unlikely bid, which was ended by Kyle Jarvis when he had Islam, on 12 runs, out for lbw.
Although Zimbabwe have recently played in other formats it is their first victory in the most respected Test format since self-imposed exile in January 2005, inspired by the fact they had become the whipping boys of Test cricket with little prospect of improvement.
In recent years administrators have introduced a franchised five-province first class league that has provided players with a competitive edge.
ZimCricket managing director Ozias Bvute and chairman Peter Chingoka had also pushed for a return to Test cricket for at least 15 months since Sri Lanka and India played an ODI triangular in the country.